Shell-Trumpets and their Distribution. 33 



Holy Week in the Cathedral of Genoa, the Triton nodiferits 

 used to be sounded." 



In his paper on "Purple Dyeing in Central America,"" 

 Professor von Martens refers to the survival of the use of 

 shell-trumpets at the present day in certain localities in 

 southern France, Elba, Corsica, and Sicily, for the sum- 

 moning of fishermen and field labourers. 



In the 1 8th century the Corsican militia, under Paoli, 

 employed them instead of drums and trumpets.'" 



Triton shells are still in common use in Crete, 

 especially among the village guards, as a means of raising 

 an alarm or calling for help." 



As in the case of Shell-purple,'° the island of Crete 

 figures very prominently in the early use of shell-trumpets. 



Mariani has published a Minoan seal on which a 

 woman is sounding the shell of a Triton before the sacred 

 horns of an altar."* This seal, which was found in the 

 Idaean cave, is also described and figured by A. J. Evans 

 in his " Mycenaean Tree and Pillar Cult."" " Here," he 

 tells us, " a female votary is seen blowing a conch-shell 

 or triton before an altar of the usual Mycenaean shape. 

 Above the altar is seen a group of three trees, apparently 

 cypresses, and immediately in front of them the ' horns of 

 consecration.' To the right of the altar is a rayed symbol, 

 to the left is apparently another altar base, with a conical 



^ ' IbiJ. p. 365, quoting' A. Issel, ' ' Revista Ligure di Scienze, 

 Letlere ed Aiti," Geneva, 1908, p. 19. 



' '^ Verhand, Berlin. Cess. Anthrop. Ethnol. und Urges., 1898, p. 485. 



^' Von Martens, op. cit., p. 485, quoting Boswell, "Description of 

 Corsica," 1768, p. 183. 



^* A. J. 'Ev3.m,/ourn. Hellenic Studies, xxi., 1901, p. 142. 



' ' See chapter i . 



"■■ L. Mariani, " Monuminti Aniici," vi., 1895, p. 178, f. 12. 



'' A.J. Evans, op. cil., p. 142, f. 25. 



